Food, family and memories are as intertwined in the South as if woven on the same thread. At any function we attend, from a party to a wedding to a funeral, we are as likely to talk as much about the food that was there, as we are about why we are gathered. ~Mary Foreman

I'm your cook, not your doctor. ~PAULA DEEN

I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends. ~Ninny Threadgoode

Monday, July 4, 2011

Easy Fresh Peach Cobbler

Cobbler has to be just about the one easiest dessert in existence, yet in its simplicity, it is both heart and belly warming. Apart from an old fashioned dumpling style cobbler, this is a basic old school batter that many of us, including me, have used for years and it works well with a wide variety of fruit. It used to be called cuppa cuppa cuppa cobbler, or 1-1-1 cobbler because it used one cup of butter, one cup of flour and one cup of sugar, though I've revised mine a bit from the original and use a method that is just a tad bit different. It's a very simple recipe and it works.

Southern Style Hissy Fit Warning: I recently saw somebody throw out the SSC again {that's Southern Shame Card} on somebody else for using canned peaches in a peach cobbler. Don't worry, 'they' do it to me all the time too - sort of like that whole so-called "authentic" southern cornbread thing. I really don't get why anybody needs to be uppity about what defines southern cooking anyway, but... there are still a few around who think they have the official rule book to dictate to the rest of us southern born folks, just how we are supposed to cook southern I guess. One of the worse side of the mouth insults you can say to a southern born and raised southerner is to say that "a real southerner" would or would not do something.

Well, you never mind them, bless their little ole hearts. There's not a thing wrong with using canned peaches for cobbler, but peak season for local southern peaches is June through September, so goodness yes, use fresh peaches when they are at peak and locally available! Sorta like that whole dried vs. fresh for hand pie thing I guess. If you love using those packages of dried fruit because it reminds you of your grandma, by all means use them! But, when fresh fruits are at peak and in season, why not use them too? {tucks away the old soapbox.}

Anyhoo.... I was gifted with a bag of white peaches that were born right here in a south Mississippi backyard! They might not be Georgia or North Carolina peaches - and I'll leave that debate to the Battle of the Best - but they're pretty darned tasty and a perfect vehicle for some cobbler if you ask me. Besides. You don't look a gift peach in the mouth, right? Okay, I'll stop, but anybody who wants to, can send me on a case of peaches and I'll be more than happy to do a taste test battle of the best between states, or heck even counties, for ya! Just sayin'.

You can make peaches easier to peel by using the same method as tomatoes, dipping them quickly into boiling water, then ice water, but honestly ripe peaches don't really take that long to peel using a soft skin peeler, or a good paring knife. You'll need about 4 cups of peeled and pitted peach halves. Coarsely chop those, and toss with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. You can also slice them if you prefer. Pour those into a buttered 8 x 8 inch baking dish.

Sprinkle the top of the peaches with a generous mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Whisk together one cup of self-rising flour and one cup of sugar. Be sure you're using self-rising flour, or in a pinch make up a substitute.

Stir in the butter, milk and egg; mix together until blended. Add lemon zest if using.

Pour batter over the peaches and bake at 325 degrees F for 55 minutes to one hour, or until golden brown and firm in the middle.

Scoop out a serving while its still warm, top with whipped cream, drizzle heavy cream on top, or top with a scoop of ice cream, and dig in!

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish. Slice or coarsely chop the peaches and toss with the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Place into the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle top of peaches generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the flour and 1 cup of sugar. Add the butter, milk, and egg; mix together until well blended. Stir in lemon zest if using. Pour batter over the peaches and bake uncovered, at 325 degrees F, for 55 minutes to one hour, or until golden brown and firm in the middle. Best served warm with a drizzle of heavy cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of homemade ice cream. Double in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish for a potluck or party.

Note: You'll want about 1-1/2 pounds of fresh peaches, or about 8 small to medium sized peaches. May substitute one well-drained large (28 ounce) can of peaches, adjusting added sugar as needed, depending on whether you use peaches in light juice or heavy syrup. This recipe calls for self-rising flour which is pretty much a southern staple. In a pinch you can make up a substitute by using 1 cup sifted all purpose flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Click here for the Easy Homemade Vanilla Ice Creamrecipe.

Material Disclosure: Unless otherwise noted, you should assume that post links to the providers of goods and services mentioned, establish an affiliate relationship and/or other material connection and that I may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You are never under any obligation to purchase anything when using my recipes and you should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

45 comments:

Living in Denver is a little tortureous reading blogs from the south east. First it was the Vidalia onions that hadn't yet arrived in our markets, then the sweet corn that won't be at our farmer's markets for another couple weeks and now these Peaches. Our Colorado peaches are probably a few weeks away too. If I remember right, sometime in August. I can't wait to make some cobbler! :-)

Hi... my name is Sue... and I've used canned peaches in cobbler (insert horror movie pipe organ music here) ~ lol. Was a huge time saver *only once* when prepping for unexpected family arriving in 2 hrs. Truth be known, we can't always get great peaches here, but anxious to make this ~ thx for sharing:) Happy 4th!!!

OMG....we had white peach trees growing up (South Texas) and my Mom always made cobbler with them. She used a standard top and bottom pie crust and the cobbler was always beautiful as the white peaches (because of the darker centers) colored the juice. I never knew this peach had a name and I will look for a couple of trees for my yard. Thanks so much!

Hi Ava & thanks so much! I use canned peaches for recipes all the time, especially when peaches are out of season. Unless it's peak season, that means they traveled a long way to get here & they just aren't as good as fresh local summer peaches. I had to have a rant when I saw that comment - I wish people would quite trying to throw down a non-existent "southern card" about the way people cook. It's just food!! Thanks for taking the time to comment & thanks again for reading.

Hi, I am another GRITS now living in the Pacific Northwest and I use canned peaches in my peach cobblers all the time. My mossback (and I mean this is a loving way) neighbors thought they had died and gone to heaven the first time they tried it. We get together with the neighbors on our street two or three times a year and they all want to know which dishes I brought. It isn't that I am all that great (well, they do called me Paula) it is just that Southern cooking is so much better than anything else. Never any left overs to bring home.I love your blog and enjoying trying the recipes.

I LOVE using the batter method. Around 2 years ago I stopped fiddling with the pastry crust and went to the batter and it just makes the dish so much more comforting. Something about the cakiness of the crust and ice cream is just heaven!!!!

I think the best tasting peach is a local peach myself! Your Michigan peaches would have to be picked very early and travel quite a distance for me, so my experience would likely be quite different than yours.

Mary, I made this tonight and served it with homemade vanilla ice cream....Yum, Yum, Yum....my family at the entire cobbler! It was truly delightful. So good. Thanks again for another Southern classic!

I've not made this ahead Jasmine, but I imagine that you could do most of the prep work a day ahead if that helps - just don't assemble it until just before you're ready to bake. In other words, combine the dry ingredients by the steps and the peaches and put everything into separate containers. Just be sure to toss the peaches with lemon juice to help decrease oxidation. Then when you're ready to make it, combine according to the recipe. I'm not sure how it would work out as far as quality though since I've only ever made this fresh! I wouldn't try to go any further than the day before for sure. Let us know if you try it!

My mother in law, rest her soul, always used canned peaches. A good fresh peach is hard to find in Ohio. But her batter was the same. I am not big on desserts but she could always get me to eat this! After seeing the receipe I think I need to suprise my husband with this. Thanks Mary.

I love cobbler and of course White Peaches are the ultimate if you can get them. The only difference between your cobbler and my crisp is the milk. I mix the flour, sugar, zest and egg with 3T of soft butter until it's the consistency of cornmeal....then I drop it on the fruit mix. I then pour the 1/3c butter over it. The crispiness of this topping is fab too. Just thought I'd share. Just got 20 lbs of white peaches put up on Friday. My house just smelled like heaven all weekend. YUM.Hope you have a wonderful week, your buddy Oma Linda

Hi Willy! You can leave questions on the posts in comments like the, or you can post a question to me on Facebook, or you can email me, though my mailbox stays so full, I miss some of those for awhile because they get lost!

It is the peel, or the outside skin of the lemon and is where the essential oils of the lemon are. You use a microplane zester or a fine grater to remove it, but take care to only scrape along the yellow skin and not the white pith underneath as that will be bitter. The zest of the lemon adds a more intense lemon flavor to where you are using it. Always zest first, then juice your lemon!

I'm fixin to make this cobbler and I KNOW it will be good but for the life of me I cant figure out why I need to halve the 4 cups peaches as stated in the ingredients. I have read it over and over but I must be missing something.

Oh dear, I'm so sorry! :) What I meant was peel the peaches and then halve them for the purpose of measuring them! It also makes them a bit easier to chop! I guess I should say 4 cups of halved peaches, chopped maybe?

Mary, you just keep doing your thing! I absolutely ADORE your website along with many others. I haven't tried this recipe yet but it is certainly on my to-do list. The people that complain about what is or what isn't are just suffering from a very closed mind and are downright stubborn. Half of them probably would faint if they saw all the new spins today's chefs put on the classics. I'm all for classics but I also enjoy trying new things. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes. Your Cajun Jambalaya has been incorporated into my regular rotation of meals!

Thanks for taking the time to comment - I love hearing from readers and I read every single comment and try to respond to them right here on the site, so stop back by!

From time to time, anonymous restrictions and/or comment moderation may be activated due to comment spam. I also reserve the right to edit, delete or otherwise exercise total editorial discretion over any comments left on this blog.

Hey Y’all! Welcome to some good ole, down home southern cooking. Pull up a chair, grab some iced tea, and 'sit a bit' as we say down south. If this is your first time visiting Deep South Dish, you can sign up for FREE updates via EMAIL or RSS feed, or you can catch up with us on Facebook and Twitter too!

You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients. ~Julia Child

The classic southern plate for supper is made up of meat and three, cornbread or rolls & a tall glass of sweet iced tea.

Oftentimes what makes a recipe southern, is as much a state of mind as it is a matter of geography - Southerners simply decide a particular food is southern, and that's that." ~Rick McDaniel, Food Historian

DISCLAIMER: This is a recipe site intended for entertainment. By using this site and these recipes you agree that you do so at your own risk, that you are completely responsible for any liability associated with the use of any recipes obtained from this site, and that you fully and completely release Mary Foreman and Deep South Dish LLC and all parties associated with either entity, from any liability whatsoever from your use of this site and these recipes.

ALL CONTENT PROTECTED UNDER THE DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT. CONTENT THEFT, EITHER PRINT OR ELECTRONIC, IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE. Recipes may be printed ONLY for personal use and may not be transmitted, distributed, reposted, or published elsewhere, in print or by any electronic means. Seek explicit permission before using any content on this site, including partial excerpts, all of which require attribution linking back to specific posts on this site. I have, and will continue to act, on all violations.